Tasty Popcorn Snack

A couple of months ago, I decided to buy in some popcorn for my regular Friday night movie with my friends. We'd always go for sweets but I decided I wanted a change. I hadn't had popcorn in a while as I only get it when at the cinema and we very rarely go. The popcorn went down a treat.

For weeks and weeks, we continued to purchase popcorn to go alongside the movie. A friend suggested that I could make a popcorn dish/snack so I decided to have a look on the internet to see what was out there. I was very surprised to see that there were thousands of recipes. Popcorn is a great ingredient to use as not only is it tasty, it is also one of the healthiest snacks as it is low in calories and fat. After trying out a few different types of popcorn to use, my favourite is Cretors popcorn and as I live in the UK, http://www.atbcinemaconcessions.co.uk/page/91/Supplies.htm is one of the only places to purchase this type in the country - this being recommended by a friend who works in a cinema.

I have made a few of these recipes only but I have one favourite:

Chocolate and Smarties Popcorn Balls

This is a great snack similar to the traditional chocolate Rice Crispies/Cornflake cakes. You can use as many grams as you wish, keep adding to it to make it perfect for you.

What do I need?

Some corn syrupSome butter or margarineA couple tablespoons of cocoa powder or a block of cooking chocolate (recommended 2 table spoons)A bag of Smarties/M&M'sA bag of popcornA plate

What do I need to do?

Put the chocolate/cocoa powder, syrup, butter/margarine and sugar into a pan and boil.Add as many popcorn as you wish into the mixture, until they are covered with chocolate/cocoa.Add the M&M's/Smarties into the mixture.Get a plate and shape them into balls and place into the fridge to cool.Eat and enjoy!

There are lots of fun and tasty recipes out there and cannot believe how popular popcorn in cooking actually is.

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Snack Time: Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

Snack? Salad topping? Soup or hummus garnish? They all work. This is the best method I've found to roast them without a lot of oil and still be very crispy. This batch of two cups calls for just 1 teaspoon of olive oil. The spices are up to you but I recommend that you go easy on the salt. Taste after seasoning. If you're too conservative, you can always add more after second pass in the oven. Just make sure you season them while they're still hot. Because the size of the chickpeas will vary, there may be a few that brown 'more aggressively' (the polite way to say, you might get a couple that look burned) than the rest - just pick them out. I found about 5 in this batch. Keep an eye on them during the last 5 minutes, after they've been seasoned.

How you choose to season isn't limited to any particular spices. Just be careful of things that might easily burn, like herbs. The next batch I make are going to be seasoned with chipotle powder. Or maybe barbecue. Salt and vinegar?

RECIPE: SPICED ROASTED CHICKPEAS
Makes 1 3/4-ish cups
The options for spicing are wide open so get creative! It's very important that the chickpeas are thoroughly dry before being roasted. Otherwise, they're just going to steam during the first round of cooking.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained of any liquid (rinsed, if canned) and then drained for at least a couple more hours (or overnight, covered and in the refrigerator) in a colander, set over a bowl.
• 1 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 (to start) teaspoon kosher salt.
• 1/2 teaspoon commercial curry powder
• 1 or more pinches of cayenne (start with one unless you are confident about your relationship with hot and spicy)

Preparation

• Pre-heat the oven to 425F, rack in the middle, have a bowl ready for the hot chickpeas when you're ready to season them.
• Spread the thoroughly drained and dry chickpeas on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes. Shake the pan and turn it 180 degrees and cook it for an additional 5-10 minutes. The chickpeas should be darker in color with some darker brown spots.
• Take the baking sheet out of the oven and remove the chickpeas to the bowl.
• Add the olive oil and toss. Add the salt, curry powder, cayenne powder and toss thoroughly.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust. When you are satisfied, spread the seasoned chickpeas on the baking sheet and return it to the oven for 5 minutes.
• Serve warm. Store refrigerated in an air-tight container.

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